Do weapons of war made in the US fuel the massacres in Mexico?

The flow of weapons and ammunition manufactured in the United States to criminal groups in Mexico returned to the center of the binational debate. This, after the Mexican Army confirmed that the majority of the weapons used in acts of extreme violence have American origin. As The New York Times recently revealed.

Official information indicates that high-caliber cartridges and weapons for military use, even produced in factories that supply the United States armed forces, have been seized in operations against organized crime in Mexican territory.

WEAPONS OF AMERICAN ORIGIN

During a morning conference, the head of the Ministry of National Defense, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, reported that since the beginning of the current administration, 18 thousand long and short weapons have been seized. Of which between 77 and 78 percent come from the United States.

In addition, weapons considered highly lethal were seized, including .50 caliber rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers and rocket launchers. This equipment exceeds conventional criminal use and resembles that of an armed conflict.

MILITARY AMMUNITION IN THE HANDS OF CRIME

General Trevilla explained that, between 2012 and today, 137,000 .50 caliber cartridges have been seized, and that 47 percent were manufactured at the Lake City, Missouri, plant, identified by the American newspaper as one of the main indirect suppliers of ammunition used by Mexican cartels.

“A large part of these cartridges were sold in gun stores located in southern states of the United States, close to the border with Mexico,” the official explained.

The ammunition has been seized mainly in Sinaloa, Sonora, Chihuahua and Tamaulipas. As well as in Michoacán and Guerrero, entities with a strong presence of criminal groups.

POSSIBLE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ACTION

Given these findings, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo confirmed that her government is analyzing including the Lake City factory in the lawsuit filed by Mexico against arms manufacturers and distributors in the United States.

“It is very important to investigate how these weapons sold by this private company end up in the hands of organized crime in our country,” said the president.

The approach opens the door to a new legal front, as it involves weapons considered for the exclusive use of the US Army. Whose presence in Mexico shows failures in production, sales and tracking controls.

A PROBLEM THAT TRANSCENDS BORDERS

The official confirmation reinforces a discussion long held by Mexican authorities: the violence experienced in the country cannot be understood without arms trafficking from the United States. Where they are produced and sold legally, but end up strengthening criminal organizations responsible for massacres and armed attacks.

While investigations continue, the flow of weapons of war to Mexico continues to be one of the main challenges for security and the bilateral relationship between both countries.